Outdoor blinds and roller blinds in the winter: What to watch for and how to take care of them?
We produce outdoor blinds and roller blinds from durable materials, and we also supply them to Norway and Sweden. So they do not mind winter. Nevertheless, it is necessary to pay more attention to them during the winter — ideally, keep them pulled up during the day, do not manipulate them if the louvres freeze and regularly remove snow from them.
In the winter, outdoor screening protects windows from frost and ensures privacy
Although outdoor screening is most appreciated in the summer, it makes sense in the winter as well.
If you close (and black out) your outdoor blinds or roller blinds in the winter, you reduce heat loss from the room by about 1.5 degrees. This can help you save slightly on your heating bills.
In addition, it gets dark early in the winter, and you need to have lights on in your home from as early as 4 pm. If you live on the ground floor or have windows facing the street, your house turns into a shop window. Blinds completely darken the room and give you the privacy you need. If you do not wish to lose your view of the street, get screens. However, we recommend adding curtains or drapes to reduce visibility into the house.
Outdoor screening in wind and rain
Outdoor blinds withstand wind well, and can handle gusts up to 88 km/h when they are routed in guide profiles and are up to one metre wide. Nevertheless, we recommend pulling them up in stronger winds, or buying wind sensors to take care of this issue automatically.
With screen roller blinds, it depends on their mounting method, position, and the distance of the bracket they are attached to. In general, however, zipscreens are quite wind resistant — they can withstand wind speeds of over 80 km/h. The resistance of blinds decreases with increasing size. Their big advantage, compared to blinds, is that the fabric is quiet even in strong winds.
Rain at temperatures above zero does not matter. However, if the screen roller blinds get wet, let them dry and do not pull them up right away. This is because the fabric becomes too heavy and puts unnecessary strain on the motor, and it will not dry as well in the cover.
If it is freezing, there is risk that any moisture will freeze, and the fabric could become damaged. Therefore, try to protect the screens from contact with water — preferably by pulling them up when it rains. If wet fabric is pulled into the box, and it starts freezing, it may freeze in the box as one big chunk. In this case, it is then impossible to manipulate the roller blind.
What to do if the louvres freeze to each other
With outdoor blinds, you are also at risk of the louvres freezing to the sill, to each other, or in the guide profiles. If this happens, do not try to force them apart or tamper with them. Always wait until the weather warms up, and the frost melts on its own. The same applies if screen roller blinds freeze in their guide profile.
Smart motors serve well in the fight against freezing. If frost appears, the motor has to exert more force when pulling out the blinds or roller blinds. It consumes more electricity from the grid. The smart motor electronics immediately notice this and automatically stop any movement of the blinds. If you also have a motor connected to a Smart Home, it will report this to you.
Maintaining blinds and roller blinds in the winter
In the winter, you only need to brush outdoor screening occasionally to remove any snow. We recommend a complete clean twice a year — but always leave it for the spring and autumn when the weather is just right — neither frost nor too harsh sun. Read more about maintenance of outdoor blinds and maintenance of screen roller blinds in separate articles.
During the winter, check the condition of your blinds and roller blinds as you do during the rest of the year. Always check:
- That they move up and down evenly (horizontally),
- That the strips and guide profiles are not worn,
- That the blinds do not squeak when being pulled up or down,
- and that the motor is not too noisy.
In the event of any malfunctions, contact the experts at your installation company. If you repair it yourself, you will void your warranty.
Summary: What to do with outdoor screening in the winter
- Ideally, keep your blinds and roller blinds up during the day (as protection against rain, wind, and frost) and close them in the dark for greater privacy.
- Get sensors to prevent damage to the blinds and especially for peace of mind in very bad weather.
- Occasionally, sweep the screening clean of snow and check that it is not stuck to the sill or in its guide profile.
